Fruit are:

Seeds are:

hard

brown

10 — 15 mm long

oblong shape.

Stems are:

silvery-green

mostly upright

smooth or slightly ribbed when younger

covered in rough, light or dark grey bark when older.

Similar looking species

African olive looks like the food olive tree (Olea europa) and native mock olive (Notelaea venosa and Notelaea longifolia). You can tell them apart by the leaves. African olive leaves are yellow-brown underneath and have hooked tips. Common olive leaves are silvery-grey underneath and have pointed tips. Mock olive leaves are much bigger and have a leathery texture. Notelaea longifolia leaves are hairy.

Where is it found?

African olive grows throughout eastern NSW, mostly near the coast.

In the 1800s it was introduced to Australia as a hedging plant as as root stock for edible olives. African olive first naturalised along coast between Milton and Lismore. It is a tropical wild olive that comes from eastern Africa.

How does it spread?

By seed

By plant parts

Control

Aim to control plants before they fruit.

Physical removal

Hand weeding

Pull out seedlings, removing all the roots.

Chemical control

Use the cut and paint method on established plants up to 10 cm diameter. Use stem injection for plants with a stem >10 cm diameter. African olive re-sprouts from the base if it is burnt or cut down. Re-spray new growth.

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au

Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area

Duty

All of NSW

General Biosecurity DutyAll plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Central TablelandsExclusion zone: whole region except the core infestation area of the Cowra Council area

Regional Recommended Measure*
Whole region: The plant should not be bought, sold, grown, carried or released into the environment. Exclusion zone: The plant should be eradicated from the land and the land kept free of the plant. Land managers should mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Core infestation area: Land managers should mitigate spread from their land. Land managers reduce impacts from the plant on priority assets.

Greater SydneyAn exclusion zone is established for all lands in Blue Mountains City Council and Central Coast local government areas. The remainder of the region is classified as the core infestation area.

Regional Recommended Measure*
Whole region: The plant or parts of the plant are not traded, carried, grown or released into the environment. Exclusion zone: The plant is eradicated from the land and the land kept free of the plant. Core infestation area: Land managers prevent spread from their land where feasible. Land managers reduce impacts from the plant on priority assets.

Regional Recommended Measure*
Land managers mitigate the risk of the plant being introduced to their land. Land managers reduce impacts from the plant on priority assets. Land managers prevent spread from their land where feasible. The plant or parts of the plant are not traded, carried, grown or released into the environment

Regional Recommended Measure*
Land managers should mitigate the risk of new weeds being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread from their land. The plant should not be bought, sold, grown, carried or released into the environment.

*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfill the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.For further information call the NSW DPI Biosecurity Helpline on 1800 680 244 or send an email to weeds@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Reviewed 2018

African olive fruit are light green with white spots when unripe, and darken to purple-black as they ripen (Photo: John Hosking)

Top and bottom sides of African olive (to right) and European olive (left) leaves. The underside of the African olive is light green, the European olive leaf underside is silvery white. (Photo: John Hosking)

African olive flowers are small and white (Photo: John Hosking)

African olives growing beneath a large tree (Photo: John Hosking)

African olive leaves are olive green on top and yellow-brown underneath compared to silvery leaves of edible olive (Photo: John Hosking)